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Go ahead...make your own Chorizo!

Don't you just adore that chile-spiked flavor of fresh chorizo!? I'm not referring to Spanish Chorizo (although, that's delicious, too)...today, I'm talking about the fresh (as opposed to the cured) Mexican variety. I'd always meant to make my own before, but it was one of those things I didn't get around to actually doing until a couple of months ago. I'll never go back! Aside from the fresh flavor...which you can toy around with and adjust to your own tastes...signature chorizo anyone?...you can also play around with the amount of fat in the chorizo. I mean, come on...that's one of the things about buying packaged chorizo that drives you crazy, right!? You have to drain an insane amount of orange grease before using the cooked product. Well, it always drove me crazy. You could get lucky if you buy it from the meat counter at your local Mexican market...but not everybody is fortunate enough to have one of those. I'm sorry. So, for the absolute in control, pick your own cut of meat and grind it yourself. You want some fat in it...I like using pork butt. You don't even have to have a grinder to do it. Simply freeze it for a bit to make it easier to work with. Cut it into 2" chunks and pulse it in your food processor until it's to the point you want it. But you know what? If that seems like too much work, you really don't even have to do that. You can buy ground pork from your local farmer or market and simply use that. You won't have as much control over the fat content that way, but it definitely simplifies things. I've done it this way quite a few times since I discovered the magical world of homemade chorizo. The thing is, it tends to be on the leaner-side of the spectrum this way, actually. If your pork winds up being "too" lean, you'll just need to adjust for it while cooking. You can either add fat to the pan or once all of your fat has vanished during the cooking process, add in a bit of water to finish cooking...which is what I usually do.

Homemade Chorizo

adapted from Antojitos

yield: ~1 1/2 lb.

3 chiles de árbol

7 pasilla chiles

1/2 c. onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

1/2 c. white vinegar

1 Tbs. kosher salt

2 tsp. cumin, ground

2 tsp. Mexican oregano, dried

1 1/2 tsp. cloves, ground

1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

1 lb. ground pork

Layer the chiles, onion, and garlic in a non-reactive bowl or shallow dish. Add the bay leaf. Pour in the vinegar and cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside, at room temp, for 1 hour.

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Transfer the chile-vinegar mixture to a blender and process to form a rough paste. If it is too thick to move easily through the blender, add ~1 Tbs. of water at a time 'til it moves freely.

In a bowl, mix together the chile paste, salt, cumin, oregano, cloves, & pepper. Add the pork and mix until the paste and spices are evenly distributed.

Put the raw chorizo in a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 5 days. If keeping longer than 5 days, transfer to freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

*If you want to test for seasoning before letting it age in the fridge, simply cook a little blob in a skillet and taste the cooked product. Adjust seasoning as necessary.

Cook it up and use it as you would any store-bought chorizo...only you'll enjoy it a million times more!

Use it in anything from tostadas, to tacos, to tortas, to pambasos, to chori-queso, to chorizo con huevos...mmmm...is anybody else getting hungry!?

Michiana-based food writer with a fondness for garlic, freshly baked bread, stinky cheese, dark beer, and Mexican food—who believes that immersing herself in different cultures one bite at a time is the best path to enlightenment.

54 comments

Hey you, went to the store, got all the hottie stuff I could find for you to experiment with....dried jalepeno powder, green chili powder, habenero powder, some assorted hot, hot, hot, dip mixes and there ya go. I'll put it in the post tomorrow. I also gave you a plug on my bloggie tomorrow. Let me know what you think of the "stuff". The Olde Bagg

Mmmm, chorizo is good on everything! Big love! When I make it, I use thyme because I dislike oregano. Do you ever make green chorizo? I always want to try making it, especially at this time of year, but then it falls off the bottom of my to-do's. Sigh. Some day.

Well, I'm going to have to make me some Chorizo. What's up with all of that orange grease that comes out of some of that store bought??? Hardly any meat left when you're done. Speaking of torta...I bought my first tortas a couple of weeks ago, they're in the freezer, now I just have to figure out a good filling for my first sandwich.

I think you just stole my heart:) I love chorizo, but sometimes have trouble finding it with just the right seasonings. Your version looks packed with chiles. I bet it is all kinds of spicy deliciousness. Looks great!

Spicy Mamma! You and I have to talk- I am watching calories, and now I have to see if this can fit into my calories for the day- I can make a batch and return from AZ to some tacos! Okay, no talk, I just talked myself into this, lol!

I too love making my own chorizo. I started making my own because it's not sold here. But I totally agree with you homemade and custom made is the best. You made me hungry & I'll have to make a batch soon.

ohhhhh babygirl that looks so good! i am totally gonna make this! And I am one of the lucky ones to have a great bodega near me with a meat counter! whoo hooo! thanks for hosting and posting on the two for tuesday recipe blog hop! :) Alex@amoderatelife

I have never been a chorizo fan - perhaps because that orange nastiness that drains off the storebought stuff. I have some ground pork in the freezer with chorizo in its future! You have such great 24T posts - gracias!

Sounds amazing! I love how often you post mexican food! I can't stand cooking chorizo from the store but love eating it with potatoes and salsa when it's cooked for me. This sounds so much better than dealing with all that nasty orange grease! Can't wait to make my own now!

Fabulous! Some friends and we are doing a big sausage thing next month, and chorizo is among them (as well as Thai, French garlic, hot Italian and Kentucky breakfast).

I'm the founder/moderator of Punk Domestics (www.punkdomestics.com), a community site for people like us who are obsesses with, er, interested in DIY food. It's sort of like Tastespotting, but specific to the niche. I'd love for you to submit this on the site. Great stuff!

Ohh, this is beautiful. You know I have such fond memories of eating a nice spicy chorizo, potato and egg burrito along with a bowl of menudo (!) for breakfast on sundays back home. I love it. Thank you, and I'm making this ASAP.

Serioiusly? Thats IT?! I'm so on this!!! I hate all that fat in store bought chorizo too. Even the chorizo from the meat dept at the mexican market is super greasy. I just saw Tyler F. making something...He said he was adding mex. chorizo but I'm thinking to myself...."where's the fat? are you sure thats mexican chorizo?". So ya...I'm lovin this baby.

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